


Humanity

by kipland



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Gen, POV Third Person Limited, Six (Steam Powered Giraffe), They're just adorable robots ok, six - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-28
Updated: 2014-04-03
Packaged: 2018-01-17 08:06:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1380166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kipland/pseuds/kipland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The life of Peter Walter VI through the eyes of one copper automaton. Each chapter will detail a moment in Peter's life as Rabbit sees it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Another Tiny Human

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this on my Tumblr. You can find it here: http://bunniferbennett.tumblr.com/post/80908671421/humanity-a-spg-fic
> 
> I figured I would pop it on AO3, too, for simplicity's sake. I hope you enjoy, and I'd really appreciate some feedback. c: 
> 
> A small note: Rabbit, until I specify within the text, is in her old chassis, meaning that other characters will refer to her with masculine pronouns despite my narrative using feminine ones. I feel uncomfortable referring to her as a 'he' in-narrative, but the characters will for accuracy's sake.

There were many difficult things that Rabbit had been forced to deal with in her life. War, death, loss-- grief. It was really a given, with being over one-hundred years old and everyone around you being far more perishable. The lifespan of a human being was but a small bat of an optic for the copper automaton...yet they continued to go on.

Continued to create more tiny humans. Tiny humans that eventually grew up to be big humans, big humans that would explore the world and create new things before eventually shrinking into a (rather wrinkly) old human and dying.

This thought proccess could explain why Rabbit's brow furrowed when Peter Walter V presented her with another tiny human, swaddled in a pale orange blanket with their little head poked out the top.

"What's that?"

Peter V gave her a patient smile. She knew very well what-- or, rather, who-- he was holding. So, instead of answering verbally, he held the little bundle out to her.

Rabbit blinked blearily for a moment before accepting the tiny human. They made a noise-- it was like a meow, almost, but more squeaky. "Is it sick?"

"No, Rabbit," Peter V said with a chuckle. "He's just cooing at you."

"Mooing? L-L-Like a cow?"

"No, cooing. Peter is not a cow."

"Peter, huh?" Rabbit looked down at the babe, put a copper digit in front of his face. Little chubby fingers curled around it, then tugged a little-- the sensation was faint, but Rabbit felt it anyway, and she couldn't help but crack a smile. "I'mma call 'im Petes."

"I expected nothing less," Peter V returned, shaking his head fondly.

"C-C-C-Can I show 'im to Th'Spine an' Th'Jon?" Rabbit asked, looking hopeful.

"We can show them together." Peter V placed a gentle hand on Rabbit's shoulder, walking slowly with her towards the den where he knew the other 'bots were helping to sort laundry. (They'd really stepped up when Annie got into the late stages of her pregnancy.)

"His nose is funny," Rabbit told him, poking said nose.

"He'll grow up to be a handsome young man, funny nose and all," Peter V assured her.

"So nothin' l-l-like you, then?" Rabbit was smirking, unabashedly so.

Peter V elbowed her, careful to not jostle his son too much. "Why do I even keep you around?"

"Because you wuuuuve meeee," Rabbit teased, giggling, the sound like a rattle within her chassis.

"Yes, I do. And him." He leaned over to kiss his son's brow. "I love him very much."

And that's when Rabbit decided...maybe tiny humans aren't so bad.


	2. Captain Petes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand here we go. Another fluffy chapter. c:

Stress was not something a Walter could avoid. It snuck up behind them and caught them about the neck, holding tight and choking them on their own workload. Rabbit was used to this, used to the way each Peter along the line would frizz up their hair with constant swipes and the way a reddish color would rim their eyes until they looked like they'd spilt oil in them. Times like these were times that the 'bots tried to avoid them, tried to give them a break-- but with a five-year-old toddling around, the task was more difficult.

Not only did they need to keep out of Peter V's way, but they needed to keep Peter VI from getting underfoot.

Annie was worn from a long day-- Rabbit didn't want to push the burden onto her. But the lady of the house was at least able to offer a solution: Peter VI needed a bath and to be put to bed.

Rabbit, naturally, decided this was her job.

"Uhh, Rabbit, are you sure you're-- fully capable of--...er." The Spine's optics were dim with uncertainty.

"I can give a lil' kid a bath," Rabbit insisted. "I'm a big 'bot. Jus' g-g-g-et his 'jammies out and stuff, okay?"

The Spine stared for a moment, then sighed. "Alrighty, buckaroo. Whatever you want." He tugged The Jon behind him as they headed upstairs.

That's when Rabbit turned to Peter VI, who was sitting on the nearby couch with a book. "Rabbit, what's this?" He held the book up (upside-down, of course) and pointed to a picture of a pirate ship.

Rabbit stepped over and took the book from him gently, scooping him up in the other arm. "Well, Petes-- _that_ i-i-i-is a nasty pirate ship."

"Nasty piwate ship?" Peter VI echoed, little arms curled around her neck.

"Yup. Full of no-good baddies who wanna steal your pappy's treasure."

Peter VI gasped-- just as Rabbit had intended. She smiled in an adoring manner, heading up the steps with him nestled against her side.

"Y'know who fights pirates, Petes?"

"Uhhhh-- you! You n' Mr. Spine!"

"You're close. The person who fights icky pirates is Captain Peter."

"Meeee?" He pointed to himself with chubby baby fingers.

"Yup! You. So w-w-we're gonna get you out on the seas." She nudged the door of the bathroom open with her foot, setting Peter VI upon the counter. "Close your eyes, okay?"

"Whyyy?"

"'Cause I'm gonna tell you your mission and you gotta v-v-v-visualize. Duh!"

"Duh," Peter VI echoed with a giggle, covering his eyes with his hands. "Okay!"

"Okay, Petes. I-I-I-Imagine a swirling sea. You, Captain Petes, are standin' at the stern'a yer ship, and yer first mate's got t-t-the map 'eld out to ya-- he says you're in the Bubble Bluffs."

"Buuubble Bluffs?" Peter VI parroted, tilting his head to the side, puffs of wild blonde hair falling over his fingers.

"The Bubble Bluffs! Yeah. S'a--S'a treacherous, curvin' passage through sharp, deadly rocks. Your first m-m-m-m-mate says you guys should vamoose, but you've heard that the pirates who're after your pappy's treasure just w-w-went through here!"

"Ohhh! We gotta get 'em, Rabbit!" Peter VI squirmed around excitedly, said squirming causing him to fall off of the counter. Rabbit, who had been filling up the tub, allowed her wrist to disconnect and her hand to shoot out to catch him.

Peter VI, of course, found this hilarious, and began to laugh profusely. Rabbit drew him close, smiling down at the boy. "Don't worry, Petes. We'll g-g-get 'em. Together."

Peter VI wriggled until he could see the tub, which was about halfway full by this point. Rabbit had already added the bubble soap, so little mountains of frothing lather were forming amongst the water. "Loook! It's Bubble Bluffs! I see it, Rabbit!"

"Yeah, and if y-y-y-ya wanna set sail, you gotta get ready."

"Help me?" Peter VI pulled the puppydog eyes, and Rabbit couldn't help but melt-- stupid tiny humans with their stupid glittery eyes and _ugh._ She put him down, then began to wrestle him out of his playclothes, mussing up his hair whenever she got the chance. He squeaked and batted at her hands, the warm plating of her copper digits causing a weird tickling sensation on his shoulders when she scooped him up again.

"Why're you so warm, Rabbit? I thoughts robots were suppost--...supposted to be cold."

"I have a boiler in my tummy," Rabbit explained as she lowered Peter into the water. "It h-he-he-heats up water and uses that to power me."

"So you runs on water?"

"Yup."

"That's so cooooool. Does Mr. Spine runs on water, too?"

"Yup."

"That's so coooooooooool."

"Yup." Rabbit was smiling, using a nearby cup to wet down Peter's torso. The Spine didn't know it, but she'd given past Peters baths before-- it'd simply fallen into her lap the first time, with how busy Pappy had been and how Iris had just /really/ needed a break from chasing around two growing boys. She'd offered, wrangled the two boys into the tub, and they'd walked her through what they needed help with.

She remembered them scooping bubbles onto her nose and chin and telling her she was Santa Claus, remembered Two showing her how to wash his hair by doing Three's for him. Remembered all the laughs and the splashing and just how /soaked/ her clothes had been by the end of it all. But the two boys were clean, worn out, and ready for bed. Mission accomplished.

Back to the present, however-- Peter VI was babbling about something or other, dragging his fingers through the water and watching as the bubbles parted for him. Rabbit scrubbed his shoulders, upper arms, and chest with the soap she'd found-- Peter VI said it smelt like baby.

"Well, you're a baby, s-s-s-so it works," Rabbit told him.

"Nooo! I'm not a baby! I'm Captain Petes!"

Rabbit grinned. "Ah, yeah. Where'd I leave off in the story, huh?"

...

Things were simpler then.


End file.
